Process for the regulation of the temperature of the fuel-bed in gas-producing apparatus.



H. L. DOHERTY. IBJINIESS FOR THE REGULATION OF THE TEMPERATURE OF THE PU EL BED IN GAS PRODUCING APPARATUS.

990,71 3.. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1v909. Patented Apr. 25, 1911;

' a BEEETB8HEBT 1.

- D y E WlTNE88E8:. F INVE/VTUR y Henry LDolzerty Jill M JMZHTORNH H. L; DOHERTY. v PROCESS FOR THE REGULATION OF THE TEMPERATURE OF THE FUEL BED IN GAS monucme APPARATUS. APPLIOATIOK FILED HA3. 81, 1909.

| liq v: 1

-- 9wmu M al/VI/E/VTUR Henry LDalwrt By giro/mgr WITNESSESI.

H. L. DOHERTY. PROCESS FOR THE REGULATION OF THE TEMPERATURE OF THE FUEL BED IN GAS PRODUCING APPARATUS.

m APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1909.

9U {1 3 Patented Apr. 25, 1911.

Q 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- v LJLJLI WWW- WITNESSES: llVVE/VTOR UNITED sTAtrEs PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY L OF NEW YOQRK, 151..

rnocnss ron THE REGULATION. or m TEMPERATURE. on THE I rnomucme arnana'rus.

Specification of Letters Patent. &pp1icationfiled March 311, 1909. Serial no. 486,281;

FUELLBED m ens- Patented Apr. 25, 191 1.

and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Processes for the Regulation of the Temperature of the Fuel-Bed in Gas-Producing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to processes for the] v jd'amperor register 11 which controls the admission of air thereto. 1 The uppermost section: of 1-0 communicates through a portbed in gas producers, and the preheating of the air therefor; and the objects ofthe invention are, the more efficient control of the temperature in the producer than has heretofore been practicable by the means ordinarily employed, and the increased economy of operation obtained by returningto the producer part of the heat which is-otherwise wasted in. the products of combustion.

In the accompanyingv drawings I have bench so: as to cover more or, less of the f ports 15'. By means of these tiles it is evi- T den't that the flow of air from 13 to 14 may be made uniform along the length of Opening out of 14 are a set of application of my invention which I have selected for the purpose of illustration, be-

ing that to a combined gas producer and retort oven, commonly known as a gas bench.

' across flues '18 and a horizontal iiue 19, running longitudinally of the retort-oven. through the line A A of F ig. 2,.B B" of F ig. .3

Zor nostrils 20. Located within and envel- 'oped by the return-bend flue 10 is another i return-bend flue. 21." The upper sections of -,2I are of fire clayor other refractory material while the lower sections are preferably of metal. In. the upper part of the recuperator the temperature is, approximately, 1600 to 1.800 Fah., which is, of course, too hot for ordinary metal flues to endure. sides, at. this temperature, I have found that ;the heat transmission through fire. clay is nearly if not quite equal to the transmission I through iron at ordinary temperatures. By

I us1 -met Y forthe cooler sections of flue 21 I Figure l, is a view showing a part crosssectlon of thegas bench on a vertical. plane the line E E of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 isa part plan, of the apparatus. showing the compressor or blower and the connections from the same to. the gas bench. Fig. .5 is a vertical longitudinal section of the gas bench on the line F F of F ig, I.

In the, several views, 1 isthe gas producer, 2 the retort-oven containing the retorts 3.

5 and 6 are preheaters or recuperators located, respectively, on the right and left sides of'the gas producing chamber 1.

4 is a recuperator forming, part of 6, for reheating the products of combustion on their way to the producer; j

The recuperator 5 occupies a compartment 5 the flues.

between theright-hand wall 7 of the gasproducingch-a-mber'l' and the right-hand arch-wall 8 of the gas bench. This compartment is divided by staggered horizontal artitions 9% into a number of horizontal ues, each connected at opposite ends with the fiues lying next above and below. The

result is that the horizontal ftues form together areturn-bend flue 10. At -the outer end of the lowest section of 10 is an air 1'2 with the lower of a set of two equalizing fiues designated by 13 and 14. Ports 15 establish communication between 13 and 14 ,atvarious points along the lengthof the :same- Covering the orifices or ports 15 are tiles, 16, which may be adjusted by means of I a metal rod or hook introduced through an appropriate hand-hole. in the front of the short flues 17. These communicate with Opening out of 19 are a number of ports fire-clay for the hottest sections and secure.- a construction that permits of the highest practicable rate of heat transmission from the'producer gas to the air. The Lowest section of line. 21 communicates with a stack. fine 22 and another flue 23 leading to the blower 24. The upper section of 21 has orifices 25 which establish communication between the retort-oven 2 and the fiue 21. Part of the products of .the combustion of the producer gas generated in the gas producer, enter the flue 21 through the orifices 25, pass through 21 and through the flue 22 to the stack, or through 23 to the blower. The air entering at 11 passes through the recuperator 5 by means of the fine 10 in a direction parallel but. opposite to the current of products of combustion passing through2l. The result is that the air current takes up heat from the latter and discharges through the air nostrils 20 into the retort-oven at a temperature approximating the one at which the products of combustion enter the fine 21.

The recuperator 6, occupying a compartment included between the left-hand wall of the producer 26, and the left-hand wall 27 of the bench, is divided into two distinct recuperators, one for heating air and one for reheating products of combustion, which I will designate by 28 and 4, respectively. The recuperator 4 occupies a position in the middle of recuperator 28. This is because the products of combustion which pass through 4 enter at a temperature approximating 400 or 500 Fah. Since, in practice, a temperature differential of about 200 Fah. between the heating and the heated medium is desirable I aim to place the recuperator 4 in such a position in 28 that the heating current of products of combustion discharging from 4, shall be at about 700 Fah. In the design of apparatus shown the reheater 4 is divided into a return-bend flue 29 by staggered horizontal partitions 30. 29

receives the products of combustion that have passed through the upper part of recuperator 28 and discharges them into the lower part of 28. Located in 29 is a returnbend flue 31 for the current of products of combustion going to the injector 32. This flue 31 is made up of a number of horizontal sections, which consist of a number of pipes (four in the design shown) which enter headers, 33, at either end. These headers are alternately separated and connected so as to form a return-bend flue, the horizontal sections of which are composed of a number of parallel pipes. The products of combustion or flue gases going to the injector enter the lower end of 31 from the pipe 34, which is the discharge pipe from the blower 24, pass through 31, being at the same time heated by the hot current of products of combustion passing through 29 in a direction parallel but opposite to the current passing through 31, and leave the reheater 4 by the pipe 35. r

The injector 32 may be of any suitable type, and in the design shown is essentially a nozzle-shaped passage 36vhaving an inner nozzle 37 through which the flue gas under pressure is discharged into the converging portion of the passage 36, which is connected through the two fines, 38, (one for each air recuperator) with the fiues 13 and 39. The current of compressed flue gas discharging through 37, in the well known manner, draws down through 38 a portion of the heated air from the fines 13 and 39, and forces the mixture of heated air and lino gas into the inclosed ash-pit of the producer. The relative proportions of flue gas and air are regulated by means of the valve 42, the pressure under which the fine gas is supplied to the injector and by manipulating the dampers 43, one on each of the fines 38.

The air recuperator 28, is divided into a number of horizontal fines by staggered horizontal partitions 44, the partitions being of such a length as to leave ports 45, through which communication is established between the different sub-fines. It is evident that the arrangement furnishes two return-bend fines, 46 and 47 connected by the return-bend flue 29 of reheater 4, so that the three fines, 46, 29 and 47, form in reality one continuous fiue through the recuperators 28 and 4. The upper end of 46 is connected with the fine 48, the latter having orifices 49 which establish communication between 48 and the retort-oven. The discharge end of 47 communicates with the stack fine 50. A fine 51 .is connected with 50 and with the suction pipe 52 of the blower 24. Dampers, 53, 54 and 55 on 23, 51 and 52, respectively, serve to regulate the flow of products of combustion through the respective pipes.

Located within the fines 46 and 47 are return-bend fines 56 and 57, respectively, joined by the connection 58, so as to form a continuous path through the recuperator for the air current from the'inta'ke fine 59 to the equalizing fine 39. A damper 69 regulates the admission of air to the flue 59. A port. 61 establishes communication between the uppermost section of 46 and the equalizing flue 39. The system of fines, 39, 40. 62. 63 and 64, are exactly similar in construct ion and function to the corresponding lluos. 13. 14, 17, 19 and 20, of recuperator 5, and need no further description. The function of the cross flue 18 is to equalize the distribution of the air between the two sets of air nostrils 20 and 64. This cross flue 18 is in the design shown formed by the hollow arch-keys 65. Between the keys 65 are left the openings or nostrils 66, which afford a passage for the producer gas formed in the producer -1 to the combustion chamber of the retortoven 2. The gas passing through 66, meetmg the air entering through 20 and 64, burns. The products of the combustion pass upward and around the retorts 3, and thence through the orifices 25 and 49, and thence through the combustion gas fines of recuperators 5 and 6 to the stack fines 22 and haw mm.

tion is for the purpose of controlling the temperature in the fuel bed of the gas producer, according to the method of control described and claimed in my Letters. Patents 829,105, dated Aug. 21, 1906,and 344,504, dated Feb. 19, 1907, viz., by utilizing the excess heat in the producer to decompose the carbon dioxid of the portion of products of combustion returned to the producer with the formation of carbon monoxid by reaction with the carbon of the fuel bed. In the processes referred to the method of introducing the draft current (mixture of air and products of combustion) is the reverse of that herein described. In this process I use a jet of compressed flue gas to induce a current of air, whereas in the processes referred to I use a jet of compressed air to induce a current of products of combustion. This affords a more positive control over the volume of flue gas introduced. Sometimes, where an excess of air is used, the proportion of carbon dioxid in the flue gas is so small that to secure a-proper temperature control the volume of the latter must be in excess of the former. When this is the case, unless the air is supplied under an uneconomically high pressure, it is difficult to in. troduce sufficient flue products into the draft current. On the other hand, when the flue gas is compressed and used as a jet to induce the air current the volumeiof flue gas in the mixture may be increased to any desired extent.

The reaction whereby the temperature control is effected is the one fully described in the Letters Patent referred to, viz.,'

1 0030:2003 I The predominating producer reaction is,

(2) C,+O :=2CO.

the fuel bed-at between about 1600 and 1800"- F ah.

In order to secure the highest economy of operation it is necessary to provide some way of retaining in or restoring to the system the heat carried out of'the retort-oven by the products of combustion. Since 1t 1s necessary to maintain the walls of the retorts at about 1900 to 2000 Fah. in order to securea carbonizing temperature in the charges within the retorts, it is manifest that the products of combustion must be permitted to leave the ovenat about that temperature. Now, the proportion of the total heat developed which is contained in the products of combustion at 18002000 Fah. is about 55 to 60%. The .only way in which thisheat can be recovered and saved to the system is to utilize it to preheat the air supplied for the combustion. But the heat capacity of the air required for the secondary combustion is only about 60% of the total heat carried by the productsof the combustion leaving. the retort-oven, since it is, of course, practically impossible to heat the air above about 1800 F. Now, I have dlscovered, and in this present invention described and claimed, a method by which the greater part of this otherwise unavailable heat may be saved and utilized. It is, in brief, by applying it to the preheating of the draft current (air and combined gases) supplied to the gas producer.

At first thought it may seem illogical to supply additional heat to the gas producer when I am purposely introducing combustion gases containing carbon dioxid to keep down the temperature therein. As a matter of fact, however, this results in a very decided gain in the volume of the chief combustible constituent of the producer g-as, viz., carbon monoxid, that is produced for a given weight of carbon consumed in the producer. The greater the amount of heat that I can introduce into my producer, the greater is the proportion of carbon dioxid that I can reconvert into the useful gascarbon monoxid. Since this reaction (1) gives double the volume of carbon monoxid for a given weight of carbon consumed on the grate of the producer, as is given by the re- I action with the oxygen of the air (reaction 2) it is plain that for every B. T. U. of sensible heat that I supply to the producer I obtain a B. T. U. of latent or otential heat, which is returned in an available form'to the retort-oven.

- The practical heat capacity of the primary and secondary air, alone, is not sufiicient to take up the heat carried out of the retortoven by the products of combustion, and therefore if I depended upon the air alone to restore this heat to the system there would still be a large unavoidable waste. By the device which I have herein described and claimed, however, by taking up part of the sensible heat of the flue gases in the portion .thereof which I use to control the temperature irathe producer, I have left for the air .to take up only a quantity of heat fairly commensurate with its By the process described in the Letters Patr-actical capacity.

cut, above referred to, the preheating of the primary air is not practicable owing to the fact that the volume of flue gas which must then be introduced is greater than can be economically handled by the air jet.

By the process which I have herein described and claimed, viz., the heating of both the primary and secondary air together, and the forcing of a part of this heated air into the producer by means ofa jet of heated products of combustion, I have overcome the difficulties in the way of a thorough recuperation of the heat of the waste gases from the retort oven, and increased the efficiency of the process to that extent.

What I claim is 1. The process which consists in burning gas in a retort oven to heatretort-s in said oven, utilizing the resulting products of combustion after their passage through said even to preheat air, compressing part of said products of combustion and using them in an injector to introduce air into a gas producer.

2. The process which consists in passing the products of combustion of producer gas through a recuperator for preheating air, compressing part of said products of combustion, heating said part of products of combustion, and discharging them through the nozzle of an inductor in communication with the air discharge flue of said recuperator, whereby heated air is mixed with said products of combustion and the mixture sup-. plied to the fuel bed of a gas producer, the

major part of the carbon dioxid of such part of said products of combustion being converted into carbon monoxid, and burning such carbon monoxid in a furnace.

3. In the operation of a gas bench, the process which consists in compressing part of the products of combustion leaving said bench and using them to introduce air into the gas producer of said bench.

4. In the operation of :1V gas bench the process which consists in passing the products of combustion from the retort-oven through aheat recuperator for preheating air, compressing part of said products of combustion, heating said compressed products ,of combustion, mixing them with the preheated air and introducing the mixture into the fuel bed of the gas producer, the proportion of products of combustion and air being so regulate-d. with reference to the endothermic power of the products of combustion that the fuel bed is maintained at a temperature below the slagging point of the ash of the fuel.

5. The process of operating a combined gas-producing and gas consuming apparatus which consists in heating both the air for the combustion in the gas producing apparatus and the air for the combustion in the gas consuming apparatus in common, in dividing said heated air and forcing one part into the fuel bed of the gas producing apparatus by means of an inductive jet of prod nets of combustion, said products .of combustion having been partially cooled and then put under pressure prior to use in said jet, and introducing the other part of said current into the gas consuming apparatus.

6. The process of operating a gas bench which consists in preheating air in a recuperator by means of the waste heat of the combustion gases from the retort oven of said gas bench, in compressing part of said gases leaving said recuperator, reheating said compressed combustion gases in a recuperator, using them in an inductor to introduce a portion of said preheated air into the gas producer of said bench, and using the other portion of said preheated air to burn the producer gas generated in said gas producer, in the retort oven of said gas bench.

7. The process of operating a gas bench which consists in preheating air in a recuperator by means of the heat of the combustion gases from the retort oven of said gas bench, in dividing such preheated air into two currents, in introducing one of these currents by means of the propulsive action of a jet of compressed and reheated combustion gases into the gas producer of said gas bench for the support of the primary combustion and in introducing the other current of preheated air into the retort oven for the support of the secondary combustion.

8. The process of operating a gas bench which consists in preheating air in a recuperator by means of the heat of the combustion gases discharged from the retort-oven of said gas bench, in dividing such preheated air into two currents, in introducing one of these currents into the gas producer of said bench by means of a jet of flue gas, the relative proportions of heated air and combustion gases in the resulting gaseous mixture being so regulated that the exothermic power of the heated air is balanced by the endothermic power of the combustion gases at the temperature at which it is desired to maintain the fuel bed in said gas producer, and in using the other current of heated air for the combustion of the gas from said producer in the retort-oven of said gas bench.

9. The process of operating a gas bench,

which consists in heating the air supplied to said bench in two parallel currents in recuperators, arranged on either side of the gas producer of said gas bench, by means of the sensible heat of the combustion gases from the retort oven of said gas bench, in directing part of the air from each of said currents by means of the inductive action of a jet of combustion gases, into the gas producer of said gas bench for the combustion of the fuel therein, the said combustion Signed at New York city, in the county gases having been partially cooled, put unof New York and State of New York, this 10 der pressure and thendreheateddl prior to 30th day of March 1909.

their use in said jet, an in intro ucin the. remainder of the heated air into the ritort HENRY DOHERTY' oven of said gas bench for the combustion of Witnesses: the producer gas generated in said appa- LOUIS F. Mosm, ratus. FRED I. SMITH. 

